Here at House Pocketmint we are not just buying fewer things, we are also busy jettisoning much of what we already own.

Why not just keep all the stuff we’ve already paid for? Because we’ve finally figured out that there’s an ongoing cost to owning something that goes far beyond the money spent to buy it.

This weekend: Project Purge. We’re encouraging each other to be ruthless in our culling. After one day, the pile of outgoing bags and boxes is already the size of a young elephant; by Monday we may have a full-grown adult bull.

I’m excited to see the progress. I’m looking forward to less clutter and more floor space, to easier cleaning and easier finding and therefore more time. And eventually even a smaller, cheaper house.